Legaia (Legend of Legaia)
The world comprising three continents in which the story of Legend of Legaia occurs is known as Legaia (レガイア, Regaia). Legaia is composed of a large mountainous region in its northern hemisphere that attaches to a chain of islands in the west called the Sebucus Islands, and a single landmass in the east called Karisto Kingdom. A large ocean lies in the middle of the two regions, eliminating any possibility of land travel between the two continents. Legaia's southern hemisphere holds the Kingdom of Drake, which lies on a single gigantic mass of land large enough to engulf the Sebucus Islands and ocean in the northern hemisphere. Legaia possesses many diverse climates such as the temperate plains of Drake Kingdom, the volcanic, tropical and humid Sebucus Islands, the vast forests of Voz, and the icy cold Nivora Ravine and Buma. Economy Currency Legaia uses G as its worldwide currency. G's are commonly found carried by monsters and Seru. Commerce The citizens of Legaia have various means of conducting business, depending on the region. The population of Drake Kingdom employs many as land cultivators that grow various fruits, vegetables, and grain. The people of Rim Elm specialize in hunting and send hunting parties out frequently. One can assume that the population of the Sebucus Islands specializes in fishing due to the various bodies of water in the area, as well as a designated fishing hole being within the area. The citizens of Karisto Kingdom primarily specialize in breeding Seru and selling them all over the world due to the Seru originating from a region in the continent. People world over can be seen employed as metalworkers, shop clerks, serving as soldiers, working as chefs, bartenders or waiters at restaurants, working in the entertainment business, making a living as tailors, working as schoolteachers, acting as tour guides, or even studying the sciences. The arrival of the Mist has made tradesmen with access to resources in very high demand, thus inflation is high and prices for goods have skyrocketed. Some towns are particularly more expensive than others, depending on their location and how technologically advanced they are. Geography Legaia is very mountainous, having large clusters of rocky mountains on every one of its continents. Vegetation and greenery is also found everywhere, save for the technological city of Sol. There is also an abundance of water, with two large rivers running through Drake Kingdom, and an ocean in between the two northern continents. Each continent is surrounded by water and has long stretches of coastline. Climate The northeast part of Legaia is particularly cold, with high alps and ravines of limestone that trap cold air. People in the region can easily see their own breath while exhaling. The western area of Karisto as well as the entire region of Sebucus is rather humid, allowing for the growth of rich vegetation. Many hot springs and active volcanoes are scattered throughout Sebucus, allowing the temperature to reach particularly high levels. The northwest areas of Drake are quite cool due to the abundant winds, however the inner areas of Drake Kingdom have rather temperate climates. The southern coast of Legaia has abundant wind, allowing for a cool climate. Flora and Fauna Legaia has its own unique fauna, powerful creatures called Seru that are made of stone and gem-like material. They represent various elements and take on a variety of appearances such as that of imps, lizards, worms, machines, bats, etc. Random beasts such as ostriches, rats, wolves and bulls roam the throughout the world, as well as more strange creatures such as ogres, giant mantis, walking mushrooms, and other generally hostile monsters. Legaia has much of the same vegetation that can be seen in the real world, however there are a few notable exceptions. The most notable of these exceptions is the Genesis Tree. There are very few Genesis Trees in Legaia, 10 to be precise, and no more than 4 in a single continent. Other vegetation unique to Legaia are Crystal Grass and Bridge Grass. Culture In the age of Seru, Legaia was a thriving world with rapidly increasing technology. Trade was rampant, cities were continuously improved, and life was constantly made easier due to the help of obedient Seru. However, this power tainted the human spirit and made them greedy over time. Conflict began to arise and thus the Seru started to be used for purposes of war. This eventually changed after the arrival of the Mist. Legaia after the Mist appeared is rather different from pre-Mist Legaia. The Seru that humans used to build thriving cities and come up with various technological advancements are now avoided as much as possible due to the Mist's effect on their temperament. This along with Legaia's severely reduced human population has made Legaia regress back to the stone age in many places, although remnants of Seru technology can be seen in towns that have barely managed to survive throughout the years. Many of those that have survived the Mist constantly live their lives in fear, not knowing whether or not they will be killed by a crazed Seru at a moment's notice. However, in certain areas where the Mist has not reached, people live with a carefree demeanor in the belief that they are forever safe and that their actions don't matter. This has lead to increased decadence, depravity, and debauchery over time. However, in this period of Mist more people have turned to the ways of Biron for its shunning of the Seru and the belief in human potential. Different regions of Legaia have their own customs and dialects, particularly the people of Karisto, who have a distinct accent. Legaian language does not have an alphabet, however they write in script that mirrors real world Japanese, which can be seen on various signs in Sol Tower. Seru have their own clicks and sounds for communicating, except for one the Puera which has the ability to communicate in human tongue. Religion Legaians are a polytheistic people. The highest deity in Legaia is known by two names - Rem and Tieg, although He is sometimes referred to simply as "God". Tieg/Rem is said to be the god of Time, god of Fate, and the creator of all things in the universe. Since the arrival of the Seru in early history, humans believed that the Seru were a gift from Tieg so as to make their lives easier. It is also believed that geographic occurences such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or storms happen when Tieg is angered. A large elaborately decorated shrine is dedicated to Tieg/Rem in the center of Octam, called the "Rem Shrine". There, nuns and priestesses worship Rem and read his holy scriptures. Before the Mist, many would make a pilgrimage to the Rem Shrine as a sign of religious devotion. The people of Sebucus also worship a prophet named Hari, who is said to be the reincarnation of Rem on earth. Hari lived in the Rem Shrine and would sleep for years at a time before waking up mere moments to tell his followers the words of Rem. It is said that during his sleep he inhabited the dream world and would remain trapped there if anyone disturbed his body during that time - thus nobody was allowed to see him until he awakened from his slumber. Hari is said to have the ability to tell others the meaning of their dreams and could see into the past, present, and future. Shrines of Hari are located on each side of the Rem Shrine. The abundance of water in Legaia has made it only natural for humans to conceive of a god of the sea. In the Sebucus Islands, he is known as Tohn, and the Gate of Shadows (Gate of Tohn in the JP release of LoL) is dedicated to the deity due to being able to hear the sound of ocean waves while pressing one's ear on any of the area's stone statues. The god of the sea is known in Rim Elm, and perhaps all of Drake Kingdom, as Ferti. Not only god of the sea, Ferti is also said to be responsible for carrying the souls of the dead to the valley of Noaru. Legaians believe that every person has a soul that leaves the body after death, and that these souls congregate in a place called Noaru Valley, essentially their heaven. Another god worshipped in Legaia is Biron, though he is worshipped strictly by warrior-monks of the religion. Biron is their god of strength and love. It is unknown if Biron was once a human that walked the earth and developed a following as a god after death, or if Biron was always a heavenly deity. Nonetheless, the Biron religion preaches that human potential can transcend even the Seru, and as such monks that follow Biron adamently refuse to use the powers of Seru for any purpose. Biron has a large and devoted following in Legaia, with shrines and dojos in every continent. Warrior-monks travel throughout the world to show others Biron's teachings. Followers of Biron are all in peak physical condition, as they are taught to live in strict physical and mental discipline. They learn many lethal fighting techniques, some that even defy the laws of physics, and study Biron's sutras daily. Breaking the rules of Biron can mean strict discipline toward the offending warrior-monk. A reclusive tribe known as the Soren have their own religious beliefs, though they are not delved into. However, they seem to worship a birdlike entity and even have a shrine on the top of Mt. Dhini where they practice certain rituals. It is possible that the entity they worship is the bird-like Seru, Lapis. Politics Two of Legaia's continents, Drake Kingdom and the Sebucus Islands, are ruled by a single monarch. Karisto Kingdom, however, is ruled by two competing nations - Conkram in the north and Sol in the south. Each monarch has soldiers in the capital city that maintain order throughout the continent. They collect taxes and establish laws that are to be followed within the region. Large enough towns outside the capital cities elect a mayor to run the area, although they seem to only be located in Sebucus. Smaller towns will choose one to act as leader. The chosen leader in these smaller towns seems to be based on seniority. Mythology There are many mythological concepts in Legaia. Most of these revolve around the nature of the Seru and the few Genesis Trees scattered throughout the earth. One particular legend tells of the creation of a giant evil Seru that feeds on people's souls. Entertainment *Fishing *Slot Machines *Fighting Tournaments *Arcades *Theatre *Clubbing Technology The level of technology in Legaia varies depending on the region. Karisto Kingdom being the birthplace of the Seru and the cradle of civilization naturally has the most advanced technology. Elevators, advanced lighting and sound equipment, and weapons modern kitchen appliances, power generators, etc. can be found throughout Karisto. The Sebucus Islands also possess technology that enable them to build giant fans and elevators. Ratayu in particular has developed its own unique technology in its palace's laboratory that is capable of creating highly powerful Seru by use of sacrilegious methods. Drake Kingdom, although the largest continent, is the least developed technologically, possessing the equivalent of technology found in our medieval times. The followers of the Mist possess technology that even surpasses our own in this day and age, such as levitating platforms and floating fortresses. Population Races/Ethnic Groups *Humans - The predominant race in Legaia. They were once found in abundance all over the world but now live in dangerously low numbers after most were slaughtered by the Seru. *Soren - The Soren are a tribe of humans that wear Flying Seru and roam the skies. They have their own unique customs and purposely avoid all surface-dwelling humans except for the royal family of Conkram. *Seru - Seru are sentient creatures from another world that represent the various elements. Looking something like stone figures, they change form once worn by a human and can grant that human abilities like super strength and speed and increased intelligence. In the presence of the Mist they become crazed and slaughter humans or control their minds. *Ra-Seru - Ra-Seru are a select few Seru from another dimension that were given special powers. A single Ra-Seru lives inside each Genesis Tree but can choose to attach itself to a person or animal. They are benevolent and can communicate telepathically to humans and other creatures. They are not driven mad by the Mist like normal Seru. *Sim-Seru - Sim-Seru are advanced Seru that are artificially created by humans through specific means. They are naturally malevolent and wish to keep all humanity living under the Mist. They can travel on their own but often attach themselves to humans and exert their influence on them, though the humans that wear them have evil in their hearts to begin with. *Rogues - Rogues are malevolent otherworldly entities that used to be Ra-Seru and thus have many of the same properties. They are the original creators of the Mist. Trivia *The continent in Legaia 2: Duel Saga is also called Legaia. Category:Locations